Updated on October 17, 1:47 p.m. (GMT+8): Added relevant guides.

Athena’s Shield and Radiant Armor are two defensive items in Mobile Legends: Bang Bang that help players deal specifically with magic damage.

These two items offer the highest magic resist stats available in the game, making them invaluable tools for players facing magic-heavy opponents. Additionally, they provide extra health points and regeneration to further enhance survivability.

GET AHEAD OF THE COMPETITION WITH OUR COLLECTION OF MLBB GUIDES
Full list of MLBB hero guides, counters, best build, and advanced combos
Full list of Mobile Legends guides: Role guides, how to rank up, terms

It’s worth noting that while these items grant similar attributes, they differ in their unique passive effects. This means that choosing between the two depends on the situation.

Ultimately, mastering the use of these items and knowing when to purchase one over the other can greatly increase the chances of survival and success, especially for tanks or roamers.

Stats and passive effects of Athena’s Shield and Radiant Armor

Mobile Legends: Bang Bang Lightborn Tigreal skin 
Credit: Moonton

Athena’s Shield provides 62 magic defense, 900 HP, and 2 HP regen. Its unique passive, Shield, gives the wielder a whopping 25% magic damage reduction for three seconds. This effect resets five seconds after leaving combat.

The beginner’s guide to getting good at Mobile Legends: Bang Bang

Radiant Armor, on the other hand, gives 52 magic defense, 960 HP, and 12 HP regen. It has the Holy Blessing passive, which increases magic damage reduction by 5 to 8 points for three seconds. The effect scales with hero level and is capped at 6 stacks.

When to buy these items?

Mobile Legends: Bang Bang magic resist item, Athena's Shield
Credit: Moonton

If you’re facing a team that deals a lot of magic burst damage, Athena’s Shield is an essential item that can boost your survivability. This item is particularly effective against heroes that rely on a single skill or a combo to take you down quickly, like the following:

MORE MLBB GUIDES
Why Pharsa is the only mage hero you need to rank up in Mobile Legends
Mobile Legends Franco guide: Best build, skills, emblem, combos
The 3 best heroes to counter Johnson in Mobile Legends
3 reasons why Dominance Ice is a must-buy for all tanks
Crush your foes on jungle Alice with these 3 core items — based on Wise’s performance
  • Aamon
  • Aurora
  • Bane (magic build)
  • Cecilion
  • Eudora
  • Faramis
  • Gusion
  • Kadita
  • Kagura
  • Karina
  • Lunox
  • Luo Yi
  • Lylia
  • Nana
  • Pharsa
  • Selena
  • Vale
  • Valentina
  • Vexana
  • Xavier
Mobile Legends: Bang Bang new item for patch 1.5.88, Radiant Armor
Credit: Moonton

If the other team heavily relies on magic damage per second, then go for Radiant Armor. This works incredibly against heroes who have spells that deal continuous magic damage over time, like these ones:

  • Alice
  • Chang’e
  • Cyclops
  • Edith
  • Esmeralda
  • Gord
  • Guinevere
  • Harley
  • Harith
  • Joy
  • Julian
  • Kimmy
  • Natan
  • Odette
  • Silvanna
  • Valir
  • Zhask

However, in cases where the enemy team has multiple sources of magic damage, it’s vital to equip both Athena’s Shield and Radiant Armor for optimal magic resistance.

Follow ONE Esports on FacebookInstagram, and TikTok for MLBB esports news, guides, and updates.

READ MORE: The 3 best heroes to counter Atlas in Mobile Legends